Automatic Age

AUGUST, 1930
No. 1
CHICAGO
V ol . 7
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i l j m
N a tio n a l
M a g a zin e
o f -t h e V e n d in g M a c h in e I n d u s t r y
A D A P T A T IO N
Even in Solomon's day there was little new under the sun, and much
of that which we call new today is simply an adaptation or working
over of principles and methods'that have been known for a long time.
The job for most of us is to learn new and profit­
able uses for the old materials and ideas that have
been before our eyes for all these years. The auto­
matic trade itself is so young that there are no
books on the subject and every fellow has to get in
'and learn from the bottom up by hard experience.
But the main principles underlying the automatic
business are the same ideas of distribution and sell­
ing that have been in use in merchandising channels
all along. So the wise operator will keep his eyes
open to what the average retailer and business man
is doing. Any day he may see some merchant doing
something that offers a hint ivhicli can readily be
adapted for use in the automatic business. It is a give and take
proposition. The successful operator must be well enough informed
about general merchandising problemsi that he can offer wise sug­
gestions to location owners when the proper occasion arises. But the
operator who qualifies for offering suggestions to others must by his
own observation and open mindedness, be alivays ready to learn from
others. We would not expect to find in a life time, hoivever, an idea
that can be taken over “as is” from another business. All the good
things have to be reshaped and adapted to the specialized needs of
the automatic trade to become profitable. Operators will find at their
disposal a lot of reading matter* pertaining to every phase of the
selling business, and all kinds of information on the reactions and
habits of human beings. Much of this is useless of course, but the
wise operator is one who delves into the mass of the news and views
of the day and comes out with something that he can use in his own
business. The habit of browsing through a mass of reading material
is a good one, and the wide awake person can always gather an occa­
sional suggestion that pays for the effort made. The automatic trade
is fortunate in having available a world of ideas gathered from vari­
ous other trades and business enterprises. Your job is to read, assimi­
late and adapt usable ideas to the furtherance of your own business.
Your trade journal exists to help you perform this job.
© In te rn a tio n a l A r c a d e M u s e u m
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